HSV and Köln won yesterday.
HSV now unbeaten for 11 matches. Longest run since 2008 (we played in Europe back then )

Shit rainy weather in Hamburg, early kick-off but still 50.000 and a 1-0 win, I'll take that. Could've been a higher win but also could've been a draw in the last seconds. That's the crux, with Lasogga out atm we have no clinical striker. Fiete Arp came again only as a sub in the 84th minute but had immediately a big chance, alone against Paderborn's Goalie, but failed.

We scored only 22 Goals in 16 matches but get 34 points for it.
And we conceded only 15 Goals, so under 1 per game. The 2 home losses against Kiel and Regensburg alone were 8 goals. So in the remaining 14 matches we conceded only 7 goals

*******************

Top match in the 1.Buli is, of course, the duel between bitter rivals Schalke and Dortmund, the "Revier-Derby". Last season it was a spectacular 4-4 match. I don't think it will be another one of this kind but who knows.
Schalke had a very rough start in the season with 5 consecutive losses and are actually at #12 with 4W-2D-7L .

Hasn't happened yet that a team with 9 points back after 14 games won the title. But if one team can reach this then it's Bayern. But I really hope it won't happen. Would be a massive blow for all German football fans (minus the Bayern fans of course) if they make it again.
They seem to have ended their short crisis. Yesterday Nürnberg was very lucky that they lost only 0-3 and not with 6 or 7-0 like against Dortmund. They are really shite, reminds me of countless HSV games in München in the last years (but we always got a real hammering)

Hoffenheim seems to be really pleased with Joelinton's work ethic (some brazilians tend to be a bit lazy sometimes or complaining about the weather or this or that but not him.) They have extended his contract lately for another 2 years. He's not the typical Brazilian but he always gives 100%. Hoffenheim made so far good experiences with Brazilians (see Firmino whom they bought for small money and sold him later for ten times the money)

Can't say much about Cunha because I don't watch many Leipzig matches live (only summaries at the matchday). Same for Evan Ndicka but they must be pleased with him at Frankfurt when you consider that he played nearly all Bundesliga matches so far and was never substituted.

Hasn't happened yet that a team with 9 points back after 14 games won the title.

Click to expand...

Surprising! Definitely gonna be hard for them to catch Dortmund. Good to see though, I like Dortmund's youth policy & we're all sick of seeing Bayern dominate. The Bundesliga is a great league for new talent these days in general, plenty of quality young talent.

May I ask why you're interested in them?

Click to expand...

Just aware they're 3 of the new players breaking through but don't know too much more than that. Joelinton looks promising, if he can emulate Firmino then he'll have done very well for himself.

They made a virtue out of necessity. I really like it how they nearly always pull good talents out of the hat. Most of them are really developing well over the years. Not all fit into the system though although very talented. Emre Mor was the last one of this kind. And then you have the guys like Ousmane Dembele who only saw this station as a possibility to go to Spain. That's ok but not okay was his behaviour to get this deal done with denying to train etc. (I hear that he has made some antics at Barca too)
Chief Scout Sven Mislintat had earned great merits here. Unfortunately he went to Arsenal (had back then some differences with Tuchel). But it seems they're doing the scouting job still fine without him.

The Bundesliga is a great league for new talent these days in general, plenty of quality young talent.

Click to expand...

That's right. The Bundesliga clubs can't compete with the big guns from the premier league or La liga in transfer fees (and promised wages). Only Bayern can do this but normally they avoid to bid in the regions of the top PL and LaLiga clubs (and PSG).

The Bundesliga made very good experiences with the young english talents in the last 2 years. Unfortunately most are/were only on loan (like Lookman or Oxford at Gladbach, both were ordered back. Reiss Nelson impresses actually at Hoffenheim). It's good to see that Jadon Sancho could be bought and not only loaned. Fine guy and had a very emotional moment on saturday when he scored the deciding goal in the derby against Schalke, 2 days after his grandmother died.

Dortmund has actually so many young players that a guy like Pulisic (new US Captain and still a youngster) has no regular spot in the team and is rumoured to be Premier League bound now (I heard Chelsea is interested )

He made the "next step" with his move to Gladbach from Düsseldorf. Already a regular in Germany's U21 team, I think it won't last long that Jogi Löw invites him to the A-team, Maybe already for the test in early spring (if he still performs on this level of course). Then he'll play for Germany in the U21 Euro in Summer

Saw Grujic scored for Hertha and their manager said he was the best midfielder they've had for 20 years, seems to be doing alright! What's the general perception of him over there @Dirk?

Click to expand...

Yes, Hertha Coach Pal Dardai said that. And he knows Hertha for more than 20 years as Goalie and now as Coach. And Grujic isn't at 100% yet after his injury. OK a bit emotional after a vital 1-0 win against strong Eintracht Frankfurt and only 7 Bundesliga matches for Grujic but you can already see that they rate him very high. Is he only on loan from Liverpool? (don't know it tbh).

Yes, Hertha Coach Pal Dardai said that. And he knows Hertha for more than 20 years as Goalie and now as Coach. And Grujic isn't at 100% yet after his injury. OK a bit emotional after a vital 1-0 win against strong Eintracht Frankfurt and only 7 Bundesliga matches for Grujic but you can already see that they rate him very high. Is he only on loan from Liverpool? (don't know it tbh).

Click to expand...

On loan till the Summer, has a lengthy contract but wouldn't be shocked to see him on loan again next year. I guessed a bit of hyperbole Good to see the plaudits are coming though!

Another Friday match for HSV and another early 6:30pm kickoff. This time at Duisburg. The Zebras are now coached by former Eintracht Braunschweig coach Torsten Lieberknecht. I like him and with him they could climb out of the relegation places but still looming at #15.

With a win we could extend our excellent away record to 5 wins in a row and our 11 matches unbeaten run. Hope both will be reached

Friday evening match in the Bundesliga is Nürnberg vs Wolfsburg. The Lower Saxons actually in good form. The other club from Lower Saxony, Hannover 96 (#17), will need a small miracle to get a decent result at home against Bayern.
Dortmund (#1) vs Werder Bremen (#8) and Hoffenheim (#7) vs Gladbach (#2) will be the most interesting matches.
I hope that Dortmund extend their unbeaten run and destroy the green plague.

BVB should have won that way more comfortably than 2-1 but it's 6 wins in a row anyway. Playing Fortuna Dusseldorf away in midweek and hosting Monchengladbach next weekend in what could be the clash between top two right before the winter break. Hopefully they win those games too.

Starting to memorize majority of their first team regulars' names now. It took a while with Klopp's team as well. Shows how well and quickly Dortmund can produce quality out of nowhere.